The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a left elbow disability, lumbar spine disability, and left epididymis cyst and left groin pain. The Veteran's migraine headache claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted.,The Board has also remanded the issue of increased rating for cervical degenerative disc disease and right shoulder impingement syndrome.,For the issues not related to service connection, the Board will proceed with adjudication based on the existing evidence.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted by the Veteran supports reopening his claim for service connection for a migraine headache disability. The new evidence includes lay testimony of ongoing headaches and relevant VA treatment records.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is likely due to active duty, as evidenced by complaints of back pain during service and degenerative changes noted in x-rays. However, the examiner’s opinion was based on an inaccurate medical history and should be reconsidered with a new examination.,For the issues not related to service connection, the Board will proceed with adjudication based on the existing evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- migraine headache, left elbow disability, lumbar spine disability, left epididymis cyst and left groin pain, bilateral hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2021
- Citation
- 21002764
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21002764.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability due to inadequate examination and reasoning.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as these issues have been addressed in a separate docket.
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